Monday 20 September 2010

The One Where I Unfollow On Twitter And You Want A Reason... But Why??


When Unfollowed On Twitter, Would You Like A Reason? Yes 24 No 18

Well, as ever, thanks for voting.



The Blog has had a really good week, so compartively the vote number is wuite low. I suppose I can't expect random visitors from Jakarta to vote, when all they want to know is why I thought Fifa 2011 was a step backwards. Plus now I think I have a decent idea of who votes and who doesn't.

So, I'd like to tailor these votes to those people. So I need suggestions!

So the question now is... why? With the way twitter works, people following each other, why would you want to know if someone unfollows?

Is it human nature? Or an element of vanity. That we're hurt? That we need some sort of vindication... that we need to know it's not personal?

Apps don't help. If you don't have Bird Brain - don't get it! It's conclusive. Tells you all of your stats. the sort you can do with out knowing. Unfollows. Whose blocked you. It even groups together all of your followers and unfollows on any specific day. I've had twenty odd unfollows on one day... so why worry about one?



Personally, I voted "Yes". But the key thing here is that it totally depends on who unfollows. I had one last week, hence the vote, where I was genuinely surprised.

I'd interacted with that person, even drawn them a Doodle Buddy... so why just unfollow?

Well, I clog up time lines. I get that. I tweet a lot. Or at least I used too. So, unless people don't follow many, you'd not really notice that. In small bursts maybe. early morning, then at night. Rarely during the days now, unless replying. So I don't think it's that.

I RT my Blog. A lot. Of course, if more people were fans on that other site, I wouldn't need too. How about sorting that out here twitter? A link where only fans on twitter would get updates? But I'm unrepentant about that. I got some stick the other night for RT my Fifa review. Truth is, all I was doing was tweets naming countries I'd never heard of. Then the link. If I was unfollowed for that... well, it's probably a good thing.

Then there's the swearing, and general conversation.

If someone says something that's a bit gay, I may reply with... "Bit gay". Maybe it's that sort of thing. Or the huge amounts of swearing - which to be fair, is very rarely in anger. It's for comic effect. People get that, or they don't.

I think the message here is to be yourself on twitter. Wear your heart on your sleeve. No matter how you come across then, you should only really get people following that want to follow.

Now an unfollow from someone you do know... the one that does surprise you? That's different. That might even warrant stepping into the real world again... maybe picking up a phone... or pen and paper... keyboard.

Life's too short.

2 comments:

DavieLegend said...

I agree. There have been many, MANY, unfollows that don't really bother me, because there was no interaction anyway. But sometimes you get the odd shock when it is someone that chats with you regularly... Only in that instance would it be nice to have a reason.

It wouldn't make me change how I tweet though. I play by my own rules, nobody else's, not even my own.

Anonymous said...

I voted yes. But like the post above, the vast majority don't bother me in the slightest. But in my busy work/life schedule, Twitter can provide an escape and a chance to converse. Where a trip to the pub, catch up on the 'phone just wouldn't fit with the available time, I have a few followers / followees (is that a word?) that I can in some small way regard as like-minded indivduals that can at times substitute for real world friends.

When these people unfollow, that's when I'd feel the need to know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOiNAqrNenk